Method for the control of an assembly

• US 8,315,761 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Powertrain AG & Company KG (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Powertrain AG & Company KG (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kiessner-Haiden, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATTON, SPENCER D
• Application Number:
  US12/317,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20090164077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 701/39.1, 701/39.6, 701/32.2, 701/32.7, 701/33.4, 701/34.2, 701/34.3, 701/34.4, 701/35, 701/36, 701/51, 701/55, 701/56, 701/58, 701/59, 701/62, 701/67, 701/68, 701/29.1, 701/29.6, 711/162, 707640-660, 707/679, 707/680
• US Class Current: 701/32.7
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0053 Initializing the parameters of the controller
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0202 the signals being electric F16H61/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25297 Identify controlled element, valve, and read characteristics

Abstract

A method for the control of an assembly by a control unit, in particular in a motor vehicle, wherein the assembly includes at least one component, at least one actuator associated with the component, and an additional control unit having a first non-volatile memory section that is connected to the control unit. The control unit includes a second non-volatile memory section. Classification information associated with the assembly and stored in the first non-volatile memory section is read out and transmitted to the control unit. The transmitted classification information is stored in the second non-volatile memory section. Subsequently, the classification information stored in the second, non-volatile memory section is read out and transmitted to the additional control unit. The disclosure furthermore relates to an assembly group that comprises the assembly and the control unit, with the control unit and the additional control unit of the assembly being connected to one another by a data transmission path.

Claims

1. A method for the control of an assembly by a control unit, in particular in a motor vehicle, wherein the assembly includes at least one component, at least one actuator associated with the component and an additional control unit having a first non-volatile memory section which is connected to the control unit, with the control unit including a second non-volatile memory section, comprising:

reading out and transmitting classification information associated with the assembly and stored in the first non-volatile memory section to the control unit, the control unit being distinct and spatially separated from the assembly;

storing the transmitted classification information in the second non-volatile memory section of the control unit; and

reading out and transmitting the classification information stored in the second non-volatile memory section to the additional control unit, wherein the classification information transmitted to the additional control unit is stored in the first non-volatile memory section if the first non-volatile memory section does not contain any classification information and the classification information transmitted to the additional control unit is not stored in the first non-volatile memory section if the first non-volatile memory section already contains classification information.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the classification information is used by the control unit for the adaptation of at least one control characteristic to improve the control of the assembly.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the classification information is composed of at least two pieces of partial information, with one of the pieces of partial information being associated with the component as a component classification and the other piece of partial information being associated with the actuator as an actuator classification.

4. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the pieces of partial information of the classification information stored in the second non-volatile memory section are overwritten by the corresponding pieces of partial information transmitted to the control unit.

5. The method in accordance with claim 3 further comprising the step of replacing the actuator and the additional control unit associated with the actuator in case of service by a replacement actuator and a replacement additional control unit associated with the replacement actuator whose first non-volatile memory section only includes the actuator classification.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the actuator classification includes information characterizing a typical actuator or information determined individually for the replacement actuator.

7. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein replacement of at least one of the component and the actuator without replacement of the additional control unit causes the respective one of the component classification and the actuator classification to be replaced by information that characterizes a typical component or a typical actuator, respectively, or that was determined individually for the component or the replacement actuator respectively.

8. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the pieces of partial information transmitted to the additional control unit are not stored in the first non-volatile memory section if the first non-volatile memory section already contains values for the corresponding pieces of partial information.

9. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the pieces of partial information transmitted to the additional control unit are stored in the first non-volatile memory section if the first non-volatile memory section does not contain any values for the corresponding pieces of partial information.

10. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the classification information associated with the assembly is determined where the individual components are manufactured and is stored in the first non-volatile memory section.

11. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transmission of the classification information to the control unit takes place at predetermined times or after reception of a request signal.

12. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transmission of the classification information to the additional control unit takes place at predetermined times or after reception of a request signal.

13. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the classification information includes information on the tolerance class of at least one of the components and the actuator.

14. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the classification information includes a characteristic of at least one of the assembly, the component and the actuator.

15. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transmission of the classification information takes place digitally.

16. An assembly group having a controllable assembly and a control unit, in particular for a motor vehicle, the controllable assembly comprising:

at least one component;

at least one actuator associated with the component; and

an additional control unit having a first non-volatile memory section, with the control unit including a second non-volatile memory section such that the control unit and the additional control unit are spatially separated and connected to one another by a data transmission path,

wherein the first non-volatile memory section stores classification information associated with the controllable assembly;

the data transmission path is made such that the classification information is transmitted from the additional control unit to the control unit; and

the control unit transmits the classification information to the additional control unit,

wherein the additional control unit includes a test unit that checks the memory content of the first non-volatile memory section and stores the classification information, or parts thereof, transmitted to the additional control unit in the first non-volatile memory section only if no classification information is stored in the first non-volatile memory section.

17. The assembly group in accordance with claim 16, wherein the control unit includes a memory unit that overwrites the classification information, or parts thereof, stored in the second non-volatile memory section with the classification information, or parts thereof, transmitted by the additional control unit.

18. The assembly group in accordance with claim 16, wherein some of the pieces of classification information are transmitted independently of one another via the data transmission path or are stored or read out in the first and second non-volatile memory sections.

19. The assembly group in accordance with claim 16, wherein the component is a torque transmission clutch.

20. The assembly group in accordance with claim 16, wherein the controllable assembly is a transfer case.

21. The assembly group in accordance with claim 16, wherein the data transmission path includes a CAN bus between the control unit and the additional control unit.

22. A method for controlling the transfer of drive torque in a motor vehicle from a drive unit to an axle assembly, comprising:

providing a torque transfer unit having a first rotary member driven by the drive unit, a second rotary member driving the axle assembly, a friction clutch disposed between the first and second rotary members, an actuator for controlling engagement of the friction clutch, and an actuator control unit operable to control actuation of the actuator in response to a control signal;

providing a vehicle control unit operable to receive information on the operating state of the vehicle and provide the control signal to the actuator control unit, wherein the actuator control unit is spatially separated from the vehicle control unit;

storing classification information associated with at least one of the friction clutch and the actuator in a first memory section of the actuator control unit;

transmitting the classification information from the first memory section for storage in a second memory section of the vehicle control unit; and

transmitting the classification information stored in the second memory section to the actuator control unit, wherein the classification information transmitted to the actuator control unit is stored in the first memory section only if the first memory section does not contain any classification information and the classification information transmitted to the actuator control unit is not stored in the first memory section if the first memory section already contains classification information.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the vehicle control unit includes characteristics used for generation of the control signal that is sent to the actuator control unit, and wherein the classification information transmitted from the first memory section is used for adaption of the characteristics.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the classification information is composed of a first piece of partial information associated with the friction clutch as a clutch classification and a second piece of partial information associated with the actuator as an actuator classification.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the first and second pieces of partial information transmitted to the actuator control unit are not stored in the first memory section if the first memory section already contains values for the corresponding first and second pieces of partial information, and wherein the first and second pieces of partial information transmitted to the actuator control unit are stored in the first memory section if the first memory section does not contain values for corresponding first and second pieces of partial information.

26. A power transfer system for a motor vehicle comprising:

a first rotary member supplied with drive torque from a drive unit;

a second rotary member coupled to an axle assembly;

a friction clutch operably disposed between the first and second rotary members;

a clutch actuator operable for controlling frictional engagement of the friction clutch;

an actuator control unit operable to control actuation of the clutch actuator in response to a control signal;

a vehicle control unit operable to receive information on the operating state of the vehicle and provide the control signal to the actuator control unit; and

a data transmission path between a first memory section of the actuator control unit and a second memory section of the vehicle control unit, and wherein classification information associated with at least one of the friction clutch and the clutch actuator stored in the first memory section is read out and transmitted to the vehicle control unit for storage in the second memory section and is thereafter read out and transmitted to the actuator control unit,

wherein the actuator control unit is configured to receive the classification information from the vehicle control unit and operates to store the classification information in the first memory section only if the first memory section does not contain any classification information.

27. The power transfer system of claim 26 wherein the classification information transmitted to the actuator control unit is not stored in the first memory section if the first memory section already contains classification information.

28. The power transfer system of claim 26 wherein the vehicle control unit includes characteristics used for generation of the control signal sent to the actuator control unit, and wherein the classification information transmitted from the first memory section is used for adaption of the characteristics.